The Quest of the Labyrinth
by la fille de Zeus
Summary: Sequel to My First of Many Adventures. Ariadne Knight is now a camper at Camp Half-Blood. As the camp's borders grow more weak, Ariadne and her friends embark on a quest to go in the Labyrinth. Takes place during the Battle of the Labyrinth. Disclaimer: I own nothing except Ariadne Knight. Rated T for some swearing.
1. First day of school

The last thing I wanted to do on my summer break was blow up another school. But there I was Monday morning, the first week of June, sitting in my new car in front of Goode High School on East 81st.

Goode was a big brownstone building overlooking the East River. A crowd of BMW's and Lincoln Town Cars were parked out front. Staring up at the elegant stone archway, I wondered how long it would take for me to get expelled.

"Just relax," I muttered to myself. "It's only an orientation tour. What could go wrong?"

My father Zeus had managed to brainwash the principal into letting me attend this school, despite the fact I had been kicked out of every school I'd ever attended.

I tapped my fingers nervously on the steering wheel. It had been two years since I had worn mortal clothes, but today I was donning dark skinny jeans, flats, a white blouse and a blue leather bolero. My hair was curled and fell over my shoulders in glossy waves. Despite it being summer, there were dull clouds covering a bleak sun in the sky.

"It'll be fine," I reassured myself. "It's only one morning."

I guided my silver Audi R8 into a parking space, got out, and shut the door. I looked over to my left, and I saw the last person I was expecting to see.

"Percy?" I said in disbelief.

Percy Jackson was standing outside of a small blue car, with a woman inside it, his mother most likely. He turned to face me.

"Ariadne?" He replied.

I walked over to him.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm starting school here," I said.

"Percy, is this another one of your friends?" His mother asked kindly.

"Oh, yeah. Ariadne, this is my mom, Sally. Mom, this is Ariadne Knight," he introduced us.

"Hi," I waved at her.

"Hello. Percy, you should get going, you don't want to be late." Sally told him.

"Oh, right," Percy said vaguely.

He looked past me, to the steps of the school. I looked over my shoulder and saw that he was staring at a girl with frizzy red hair. She wore a maroon T-shirt and ratty jeans decorated with marker drawings. Percy's face was full of fear.

"Percy?" His mother asked. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing," he stammered. "Does the school have a side entrance?"

"Down the block on the right. Why?"

"I'll see you later." Percy said. He grabbed my arm and pulled me along. "Hurry," he told me.

"What? Percy?" I asked as I ran behind him.

* * *

Percy's idea of sneaking into orientation didn't work out so well. Two cheerleaders in purple and white uniforms were standing at the side entrance, waiting to ambush freshmen.

I was about to ask Percy what was wrong, and why he was so afraid of that random girl, but the cheerleaders greeted us.

"Hi!" They smiled. One was blonde with icy blue eyes. The other was African American with dark curly hair. Both girls had their names stitched in cursive on their uniforms, but with my dyslexia, the words looked like meaningless spaghetti.

"Welcome to Goode," The blonde girl said to Percy. "You are _so_ going to love it."

But as she looked him up and down, her expression said something more like, _Eww, who is this loser?_

The other girl stepped uncomfortably close to me. I studied the stitching on her uniform and made out _Alexis_. She smelled like roses and something else I recognized from owning a Pegasus- the scent of freshly washed horses. It was a strange smell for a cheerleader, but I figured she owned a horse. She stood so close I got the feeling she was going to try to push me down the steps.

"What's your name, fish?"

"Fish?"

"Freshman." She corrected.

"Ariadne."

The girls exchanged looks.

"Oh, Ariadne Knight," the blonde one said. "We've been waiting for you."

That sent a major _Uh-oh_ chill down my spine. They were blocking the entrance, smiling coldly. I glanced at Percy, whose hand crept toward his pocket.

Then another voice came from inside the building: "Percy?" It was a man with short salt-and-pepper hair, denim clothes, and a leather jacket.

The cheerleaders retreated. As we walked past them, Percy accidentally kneed Alexis in the thigh.

_Clang._

Her leg made a hollow, metallic sound, like Percy had hit a flagpole.

"Ow," she muttered. "Watch it, Percy Jackson,"

How did she know Percy's name? I glanced down, but her leg looked normal. Percy dashed inside the hall and I followed.

"There you are!" the man told Percy. "Welcome to Goode!"

"Hey, Paul- um, Mr. Blofis." Percy said.

I glanced behind me, but the cheerleaders had disappeared.

"Hi, I'm Paul Blofis, the English teacher," He introduced himself to me.

"Oh, hello," I said quickly, shaking his hand.

He studied both of us. "Are you kids okay? You look like you've both seen a ghost."

"Yeah, um- "Percy began.

Paul clapped him on the back. "Listen, I know you're nervous, but don't worry. We get a lot of kids here with ADHD and dyslexia. The teachers know how to help."

I laughed nervously. If only ADHD and dyslexia were my biggest worries. Paul looked at me curiously.

Percy looked down the hall, and I saw that he was staring at that same girl with the red hair. She was just coming in the entrance.

She met Percy's gaze, and her eyes widened.

"Where's the orientation?" Percy asked Paul.

"The gym. That way. But- "

"Bye."

Percy grabbed my wrist again and took off running, yanking me behind him.

* * *

Crowds of kids were heading for the gym, and soon Percy and I were just one of the three hundred fourteen year olds (well, I was fifteen now,) all crammed in the bleachers. A marching band played an out of tune fight song that sounded like somebody hitting a bag of cats with a metal baseball bat. Older kids, probably student council members, stood up front modeling the Goode school uniform. Teachers were milling around, smiling and shaking hands with students.

"Percy!" I slapped his hand away and looked at him. "_What is going on?!_"

"Just- she can't see us," Percy stuttered.

"What?" I demanded.

Percy was about to answer, but the marching band stopped playing, and a bloke in a pinstripe suit came to the microphone and started talking. The sound echoed all over the gym so I had no idea what he was saying. He might've been gargling.

Someone grabbed Percy's shoulder. "What are you doing here?"

It was the same red-headed girl Percy had run from.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare," Percy said.

"What?" I asked. "Percy, who is this?"

"And you're Percy somebody," Rachel replied. "I didn't get your full name last December when you tried to _kill_ me."

I was completely confused. Was this girl a monster?

"What are you doing here?" Percy asked.

"Same as you two. Orientation." Rachel said.

"You live in New York?"

"What, you thought I lived at Hoover Dam?"

"You met this girl at Hoover Dam?" I asked Percy.

Some chap behind us whispered, "Hey, shut up. The cheerleaders are talking!"

"Hi, guys!" a girl bubbled into the microphone. It was the blonde Percy and I had met at the entrance. "My name is Tasha, and this is, like, Alexis." Alexis did a cartwheel.

Behind Percy, Rachel yelped like someone had stuck her with a pin. A few kids snickered, but Rachel just stared at the cheerleaders in horror. Tasha didn't seem to notice the outburst. She started talking about all the great ways we could get involved during our freshman year.

"Run," Rachel told us. "Now."

"Why?" I hissed.

Rachel didn't explain. She pushed her way to the edge of the bleachers, ignoring the frowning teachers and grumbling kids she was stepping on.

I hesitated. Tasha was explaining how we were all about to break into small groups and tour the school. Alexis caught my eye and gave me an amused smile, like she was waiting to see what I'd do.

"Come on, we should go," Percy whispered to me.

My heart pounding, I got up and followed him out of the gym.


	2. We set a school on fire

Percy and I followed Rachel to the band room. She was hiding behind a bass drum in the percussion section.

"Get over here!" She said. "Keep your head down!"

Percy and I crouched beside her, behind a bunch of bongo drums.

"Did they follow you?" Rachel asked.

"You mean the cheerleaders?" Percy said.

She nodded nervously.

"I don't think so," Percy said. "What are they? What did you see?"

"Is somebody going to tell me what's going on?" I whispered angrily.

"Rachel can see through the Mist," Percy told me.

"The what?" Rachel asked.

I launched into a complicated explanation. I do that sometimes. "The Mist is a supernatural force controlled by the goddess Hecate that twists a mortal's sight from seeing monsters, gods, titans, and other various mythical creatures and supernatural occurrences by replacing them with things the mortal mind can- "

"Basically it's a magical veil that hides the way things really are," Percy interrupted. "Some mortals are born with ability to see through it, like you."

Rachel's green eyes were bright with fear. "You did that at Hoover Dam. You called me a mortal. Like you're not."

I lightly punched Percy in the ribs, giving him a meaningful look. What were we thinking? We could never explain.

"Tell me," Rachel begged. "You both know what it means. All these horrible things I see?"

"Look, this is going to sound weird," Percy sighed. "Do you know anything about Greek myths?"

"Like the Minotaur and the Hydra?"

"Yeah," Percy replied. "Just try not to say those names when Ariadne and I are around."

"And the Furies," she said, warming up. "And the Sirens, and-"

"Okay!" I cut her off, looking around the band hall, sure that Rachel was going to make a bunch of bloodthirsty nasties pop out of the walls; but we were still alone. Down the hallway, I heard a mob of kids coming out of the gymnasium. They were starting the group tours. We didn't have long to talk.

"All those monsters," Percy continued. "All the Greek gods- they're real."

"I knew it!"

I would've been more comfortable if she'd called me and Percy liars, but Rachel looked like we'd just confirmed her worst suspicion.

"You don't know how hard it's been," she said. "For years I thought I was going crazy. I couldn't tell anybody. I couldn't-"Her eyes narrowed. "Wait. Who are you guys? I mean _really?_"

"We're not monsters," I said.

"Well, I know that. I could _see_ if you were. You look… normal. But you're not human, are you?"

Percy and I shared a look.

"We're half-bloods," Percy told her. "We're half human."

"And half what?"

Just then Tasha and Alexis stepped into the band room. The doors slammed shut behind them.

"There you are, half-bloods," Tasha said. "It's time for your orientation."

* * *

"They're horrible!" Rachel gasped.

Tasha and Alexis were still wearing their purple and white cheer leading costumes, holding pom-poms from the rally.

"What do they really look like?" Percy asked, but Rachel seemed too stunned to answer.

"Oh, forget her." Tasha gave Percy a smile and started walking toward us. Alexis stayed by the doors, blocking our exit.

They'd trapped us. I knew we'd have to fight our way out, but I didn't know what monsters these girls were.

Percy was staring at Tasha, mesmerized by her.

"Percy," I warned.

Tasha was getting closer. I willed for my bow to appear. The next second, I had a silver bow in my hand and a quiver filled with assorted arrows slung over my back.

"Percy!" I shouted. "Snap out of it!"

It took Percy a few moments to react, but he finally got his pen out of his pocket and uncapped it. It elongated into a three foot long bronze sword, its blade glowing with a faint golden light. Tasha's smile turned into a sneer.

"Oh, come on," she protested. "You don't need that. How about a kiss instead?"

I notched an arrow in my bow and aimed it in-between Tasha's eyes. "Get back, demon," I spat.

She snarled. "Freshman," she said with disgust. "This is _our_ school, half-blood. We feed on whom we choose!"

Then she began to change. The color drained from her face and arms. Her skin turned as white as chalk, her eyes completely red. Her teeth grew into fangs.

"A vampire!" Percy stuttered.

I noticed her legs. Below the cheer leading skirt, her left leg was shaped like a human leg, but it was made of bronze, and her right leg was brown and shaggy with a donkey's hoof.

"Don't mention the legs!" Tasha snapped. "It's rude to make fun!"

She advanced on her weird, mismatched legs.

"Percy, they're _empousai,_ daughters of Hecate," I warned. "The legend of vampires was based on_ them_."

Alexis smirked. "This one certainly knows a lot."

Tasha edged closer to me. "Dark magic formed us from animal, bronze, and ghost! We exist to feed on the blood of young men. But I bet you knew that already."

She bared her fangs. I let my arrow fly, but Tasha closed her hand around the shaft of the arrow when it was mere inches from her face.

"I don't usually kill young women," Tasha growled. "But for you, daughter of Zeus, I'll make an exception. Blood from a powerful half-blood is just _too _good to resist!"

She lunged at me.

I morphed into a mountain lion and pounced on Tasha. We collided in mid-air and tumbled across the band room, knocking over instruments as we wrestled. We rolled next to Rachel, who was cowering behind a xylophone. I screamed as I exposed my fangs and bit Tasha's throat. Tasha let out a horrible wail as she exploded into dust all over Rachel.

I retreated next to Percy and I transformed back to human.

Rachel coughed. She looked like she'd just had a sack of flour dumped on her head. "Gross!"

"Sorry," I said. "Monster's do that."

"You killed my trainee!" Alexis yelled. "You need a lesson in school spirit, half-blood!"

Then she too began to charge. Her wiry hair turned to flickering flames. Her eyes turned crimson. She grew fangs. She loped toward us, her brass foot and hoof clopping unevenly on the band room floor.

"I am a senior _empousa_," she growled "No hero has bested me in a thousand years."

"Yeah?" Percy said. "Then you're overdue!"

Alexis was a lot faster than Tasha. She dodged Percy's first strike and swatted away one of my arrows. She rolled into the brass section, knocking over a row of trombones with a mighty crash. Rachel scrambled out of the way. Percy put himself between her and the _empousa_. Alexis circled us, her eyes going from Percy to the sword.

"Such a pretty little blade," she purred. "What a shame it stands between us."

Her form shimmered- sometimes a demon, sometimes a pretty cheerleader. I tried to keep my mind focused, but it was really distracting.

"Poor dears," Alexis chuckled. "You don't even know what's happening, do you? Soon, your pretty little camp in flames, your friends made slaves to the Lord of Time, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. It would be merciful to end your lives now, before you have to see that."

From down the hall, I heard voices. A tour group was approaching. A man was saying something about locker combinations.

The _empousa's_ eyes lit up. "Excellent! We're about to have company!"

She picked up a tuba and threw it at us. I summoned a gust of wind and the tuba flew in the other direction, crashing through the window.

The voices down the hall died down.

"Percy!" Alexis shouted, pretending to be scared. "Why did you throw that?"

Percy was too stunned to answer. Alexis picked up a music stand and swiped through a row of clarinets. Chairs and musical instruments crashed to the floor.

"Stop it!" Percy yelled.

People were tromping down the hall now, coming in our direction.

"Time to greet our visitors!" Alexis cackled with laughter and ran for the doors. Percy charged after her, but I saw what Alexis was really going to do.

"Percy, wait!" I ran after him, but Percy hadn't realized what Alexis was up to until it was too late.

Alexis flung open the doors. Paul Blofis and a bunch of freshmen stepped back in shock. Percy raised his sword.

At the last second, Alexis turned toward Percy like a cowering victim. "Oh no, please!" she cried.

I grabbed the back of Percy's shirt and pulled him away, but Percy couldn't stop his blade. It was already in motion.

Just before the celestial bronze hit her, Alexis exploded into flames. Waves of fire splashed over everywhere. I'd never seen a monster do that before, but I didn't have time to wonder about it. Percy and I fell backwards onto the floor as flames engulfed the doorway.

"Percy?" Paul Blofis looked completely stunned, staring at us from across the fire. "What have you done?"

Kids screamed and ran down the hall. The fire alarm wailed. Ceiling sprinklers hissed to life.

In the chaos, Rachel tugged at Percy's sleeve. "You guys have to get out of here!"

She was right. The school was in flames and Percy and I would be held personally responsible. Mortals couldn't see through the Mist properly. To them it would look like Percy had just attacked an innocent cheerleader in front of a group of witnesses. There was no way we could explain it. I heaved Percy off the floor and we both sprinted for the broken band room window.


End file.
